First, let’s just state the obvious: parenting is much harder work than any of us ever imagined. For so many reasons. The Surgeon General of the United States has issued an advisory on the health and well-being of parents. And yet, here we are. Called to the profound work of nurturing children as we create
What do you think of when you think of self-care? Is it a manicure? A bubble bath? A solo trip to the grocery store? Maybe a chat on the phone with a friend? Finally making that doctor appointment you’ve been putting off in favor of caring for every single person in your household (and maybe
Feel like you are struggling with Hand in Hand? It’s not you. Really. I remember walking into my first Hand in Hand class. At last, I thought. Someone was going to give me some simple but effective tips for sorting out my kids. I’d skip out of there a couple of hours later and head
Exhaustion, anxiousness and negative thoughts can all indicate parent burnout. And yet, parents need to parent, they cannot give up. These practices will help when you are feeling down about yourself or parenting. Another cold and miserable February was upon me and it was school break. I shuddered at the prospect of spending a
You wake up to a bright and shining sun, nothing but blue skies and birds singing. Your child calls out to you. You go into their room, look into their beautiful eyes feeling the joy of a new day and they complain. Loudly. “I don’t want to go to camp!!!” Your child pulls the covers
On the playground one child is crying because he can’t get the sand off his hands and he hates the feeling. A second child is yelling “Higher! Higher!” as her dad pushes her on the swing as high as it will go. Another child is running around, sometimes inadvertently crashing into other children, while another
Your toddler may stand defiantly at the sink and refuse to brush their teeth. They may run from the table when you serve ANY food that isn’t starchy and white. They may prefer to tip up an entire box of bricks when you ask them to tidy up instead of cleaning the 10 they had
“Are we there yet?” “How much longer?” “Stop kicking the seat!” “Leave your brother alone!” “But he’s sticking his tongue out at me!” “I’m soooo bored!” Car rides, whether they’re five minutes or five hours, are notorious for causing upsets. It’s not surprising when you think about it. Once strapped into their seat, children are
A few year’s back when my daughter was about four years old, a new family moved into our neighbourhood and their two children started to play in our back garden. One child was the same age as my daughter and her big brother was about four years older. The trampoline in our garden was a
Playlistening is the art of using play to listen to our children. Since play is the way children process and express their thoughts and feelings, using play to listen to and connect with our children is sort of genius. When we Playlisten we show our children in their own language: “I’m here, I’m paying attention,
Like most, I parent differently than my parents did. I knew that seeing me do things differently than they did could stir up feelings for them, especially about their most challenging parenting times. (Hello, teenage years!) Still, I wanted them to have a strong relationship with my daughter and I didn’t want my way of
Anyone who works with children, parents or families will be acutely aware of how huge the need for parent support is. That has never been more true than it is now, in the midst of this global crisis. That you’re reading this suggests that you recognise this yourself, though figuring out how to get that
My first year of motherhood felt a bit like trying to stay in control of a runaway train. Breastfeeding did not come easily to me and so I was delighted to reach the milestone of feeding my daughter for a full year. But I had grown to hate breastfeeding. My daughter was feeding throughout the
Getting angry with your toddler? Ask yourself this, How did you feel about your child becoming a toddler? While some parents mourn the loss of babyhood, most are eager to see their babies become toddlers. During this time you see crawling become walking, then skipping and sprinting, babbling become song and story-telling. Toddlerhood is a
Ever told your child not to start playing blocks and then watched as they dump out the whole basket? Have you asked your child repeatedly to feed their pet and still find the food bowl empty, day after day? Did you ever set a limit on screen time, only to find your child peering into
A guest post by Julie Johnson The holidays are here and as wonderful as a happy holiday would be, the reality is not always that joyful. Your little one asks you to play every thirty minutes, but you keep saying no because the turkey still isn’t done and everyone is hungry. Finally, she grabs a
This way of setting limits is like nothing you’ve probably seen before. It involves no need for bribing, yelling, time outs or punishment. Instead, Patty shows you what’s going on with a child when they start pushing buttons and boundaries, and how this way of setting limits addresses their core need. If you are tired
Does your child know how much you love them? Like, how much you’d do anything for them to love them? If you find yourself dishing out ultimatums, caught up in stand-offs and power struggles or just plain confused by your child’s challenging behavior often, parenting starts to feel like a daily struggle. Your relationship with